You seem to ask me that a lot these days and you know what Parker, I am not really sure half of the time either! Hopefully I will be able to write you this letter and make a little bit of sense. You are already 2 and a half, which is crazy, but let's face it…the last six months have been winter and I wouldn't say they have gone by fast. You are an outdoorsman already, seriously kid it is in your blood. Although this winter was pretty mild, most of it was too cold for us to enjoy being out in it. At least while you and your brother are so little. But you sure are a different kid when you are all cooped up inside all the time. Sorry kid, hopefully this next winter will be better.
Now that it is early spring and things are starting to warm up a bit I have been able to let you go outside on your own a few times and walk around the yard with your fishing pole and your dog. I stay by the window and watch you the whole time since our yard is not fenced, but you have been so good to stay out of the roads and in our yard. You have been a bit curious about dog poop, and hoping that is just a normal stage for a little boy. Even so you are pretty quick to stay away when I tap on the window.
Last time you were out you got a little bit braver and started to follow the neighbor's fence out around the back of the house. I finally coaxed you back over but you were pretty upset and when I asked you what was wrong you said, "I wanna go in that castle." Apparently her shed resembled one!
I brought you inside and was talking to you about how fun it will be when you get to go out and play when it gets warm and all the snow melts. I was trying to tell you how exciting it will be to go to the park and play. But then you quickly corrected me, "No, when the snow melts I'm goin fishing at the river!" Trust me, it's in your blood. I guess I am glad we chose Alaska to raise you. Even if it means living so far from so many amazing friends and family, your Dad and I both know this is where we need to be. I think you will thank us some day.
Your communication skills are getting so good so fast! It is really incredible to watch you grow and learn and it hard at the same time to try and teach you the right things. "Dang it" has become a pretty common phrase around the house and one day I was trying to get you to put something away and we were starting to struggle a bit. You looked at me all frustrated and said, "UGHHH! You drive me crazies!" All I could do was laugh. I think we drive each other crazy. I love you kid, but like I said, it has been a LONG winter!
For Christmas Santa decided it was time you needed a dog. Apparently he doesn't need to ask your mother's permission to get you one. Christmas morning you opened the box and there was your very own black lab puppy. I'm not sure if you or your dad likes her more. But so far you two seem to be the only ones she will listen to. I need to try and remember to get you on tape while you command that dog. It is just too funny. You do it all just the way your dad does it, and you do it all on your own! Every morning you rush out to the garage, scoop out just the right amount of food and bring it into the house. Before the dog can eat you make her "SIT" and "STAY, STAY, STAY" and then after a minute or so you order, "Sam, go eat!" and she does it just as you say. You are pretty good at read her signals too, you tell me when she needs a drink or needs to go outside. Even if I don't really like the dog, it is good to see you becoming so responsible and how much you love her.
You are a great helper to have around the house. You are getting pretty good at unloading parts of the dishwasher and you are almost a laundry expert! Sorting comes pretty easy for you and on our new washer and dryer the buttons are at a level you can control. It only took me once to show you how and now you help me every time. You know where the soap goes and I know you want to do it so bad (mostly because every time you insist "I do it") but I never let you. Sorry dude, that's my part. But it is nice of you to tell me where it goes and as I do it you encourage with "Right there, Yep." Your wife is going to have nothing to complain about.
The way your remember things is so incredible. Just the past few months you have been telling us all about things that happened before you could talk much. A lot of your memories seem to be very visual too. When you see something that reminds you of a picture in a book you can run in your room quickly sort through your books and flip to the page you saw it. You have a couple of 12 piece puzzles that only took you a couple of time to figure out. I didn't even have to help, you just did it. Maybe we are underestimating how much you really can do! You still talk about things you got for Christmas, you can navigate around town and the best part is that you can remember most of my grocery list. I just tell you what we are going to get before we leave and we talk about it on the way. Then while we are there you can repeat it as we go. Then when dad comes home you can "member" what we bought. It is fun to see you learning so much.
Probably my favorite part about your changes in the last 6 months is how you learned to sing! I love your little voice and to hear you sing song on your own or with me. "I am a child of God " and "Happy Birthday" seem to be two of your best, but you know a lot of others and it is really sweet. You learn a lot of new songs in nursery and then when you come home and tell us about them we practice even more. Too bad my voice isn't a very good example! It is impossible to hear your little voice and not know that you truly are a child of God. I hope those words will always be in the back of your mind so that you will remember who you are and how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love you.
You have also learned to say a prayer on your own. They are the sweetest and most sincere prayers that you give, and seeing your testimony starting so small has really helped encourage me to be better at teaching you more about the gospel. I need a lot of work, but hopefully someday you will look back and be able to "member" and see that I do love the Lord and that I do have a testimony of the gospel.
We took you to Anchorage in February and we went to a new place that has giant inflatable toys called "Bouncing Bears" and you are still talking about it! You dad and I have never seen you more happy than when you were running around that place. You had a smile from ear to ear and you were in heaven! It was so much fun to see you so happy and full of life. You are such a great kid!
You are growing up, and it is hard. I love having you be so little. We left you in your crib for a pretty long time. In fact it wasn't until January that we decided it was time to take the side off and make it into a toddler bed. You did great, and I knew you would. So a couple weeks later we brought in a new toddler bed for you to sleep in, and then after a couple more weeks we introduced Eli to the crib, and decided to try letting you two share a room. I regret being so hesitant about it because you both did so great! Our next hurdle is the binky. Will you ever give that thing up?
You have a pair of red rubber boots that you wear everywhere. I think it is mostly because you can get them on all by yourself, but it is probably also because you really like them. You wear them around the house with a pumpkin bucket on your head. Silly kid. I'm not sure if I have any picture of it, but I know I have it on video. I know those times are going to be some of my favorite memories of you being little.
Some other fun things about you lately:
- You sit at the table in the big boy chair
- You always shut all the doors in the house and you insist they stay shut, this included the toilet lid and the shower door.
- You clean up messes really well and I love it!
- You line up all your toys when you play, sometime on the table, sometime on the baseboard heater or in the window seal or sometimes just on the floor.
- You sleep with your library books
- You can smell chocolate from a mile away, I can't even sneak it because you smell it on my breath.
- You still dance whenever you hear the slightest beat
- You follow me wherever I go…..I can't ever get away from you (or Eli or the dog)!
- You still have BIG BROWN EYES that every one comments on when we go places
Some funny things you say lately:
- The costumes are chasing me
- Mom, Be patient with me (still don't know where you learned this one, but it works)
- You call Utah "Youtalk"
- Huh? Whatch you talkin' 'bout mom?
- Not today K?
- 10 minutes k? (you think that you can play with my things as long as it is only for 10 minutes, and K somehow convinces me)
- Talk it Mom (When you want me to read something)
So far you have gotten by with few injuries, but if you are anything like you dad I am sure many are to come. You first cut was on Friday 3/5/10. We were waiting for you dad to come home from work and make us dinner and it was already 8 and we were all tired. Just as he pulled in the driveway you ran and tripped and smacked your face on the rocking chair and it split your right eye open in the corner. It was a small cut, but it was deep and definitely needed some stitched. The ER doc talked us out of them because you are boy and scars don't matter and he was sure the needle would traumatize you. I think it was a good choice. So we stuck a band aid on it. You were fine even before we went it, but we just wanted to make sure it wasn't a problem with your eyelid. Any closer to your eye and I would have had a lot more to write about I'm sure.
Keep it up kid. You are growing up to be a pretty good boy and really great helper. You are an example to your little brother and I am sure you will be your whole life. That should be a good enough reason to make good choices and be a good example instead of a bad one. But I trust you little man. You seem to be doing just fine. You are more than I ever expected you to be, and the best first born I ever had! I love you so much, hopefully your good little memory won't remember how long and boring this winter was. I promise it gets better. Let's see what the next 6 months bring!
P.S. Picture for this post coming soon....just had to get it up here since it is two weeks late already.
